Q: What do you get when you cross a media sensation with a guy who loves to see his name in print?

A: A letter from Jack Thompson to Sarah Palin.

Facing imminent disbarment, the Miami attorney has written to the Republican vice-presidential candidate, urging her to take a stand against violent video games. And, of course, offering his own services in that regard.

In a letter to America's best-known hockey mom, Thompson writes:

The McCain-Palin campaign, with all respect, is missing the boat on this issue. I strongly urge your campaign to tell American parents that if elected you will present to Congress a bill that prevents the sale of adult games to kids while fully protecting the First Amendment.

I have this crucial, constitutional legislation drafted and ready to go. You will see voters flock to your proposal. The American entertainment industry’s assault upon our children and our values must stop, and you are the person to stop it.

Thompson's previous attempt at "this crucial, constitutional legislation," however, was declared unconstitutional in stinging language by a federal judge in Louisiana. Utah's Republican attorney general also dismissed a Thompson-drafted bill as a violation of the First Amendment. State legislatures in Delaware and Massachusetts have likewise passed on Thompson's proposal.

Re: Federal Law Needed to Stop Sale of Mature-Rated Video Games to Minors

Dear Governor Palin:

Over the last decade I have appeared on more than 200 national television programs (Today eight times, 60 Minutes twice, Nightline, Oprah) alerting Americans to the public safety and health hazards posed by the video game industry’s marketing and sale of violent and pornographic Mature-rated video games to minors. Innumerable school shootings have been caused by these murder simulators, including those at Paducah, Columbine, Red Lake, and Virginia Tech. We are teaching our kids how to murder.

A number of reliable polls prove that 70% of the American people want a federal law prohibiting the sale of adult video games to minors. We are the only nation in the world that does not have such a law. The United States Federal Trade Commission has proven that major retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Wal-Mart are violating the video game industry’s age rating system. These brazen sales by these huge retailers are occurring in stores and via the Internet. I have sat in jail cells with these game-trained killers. I have sat in the living rooms of the families of their victims. Both sides in this carnage are bathed in tears. The video game industry is sowing the wind, and the rest of us are reaping their whirlwind. It is going to get worse. Columbine times ten is on the way.

The McCain-Palin campaign, with all respect, is missing the boat on this issue. I strongly urge your campaign to tell American parents that if elected you will present to Congress a bill that prevents the sale of adult games to kids while fully protecting the First Amendment. I have this crucial, constitutional legislation drafted and ready to go. You will see voters flock to your proposal. The American entertainment industry’s assault upon our children and our values must stop, and you are the person to stop it.

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Seriously, John Bruce, you should purify that Bible of yours with fire. It's tainted by a Demon-Pretender-To-The-Throne-Of-Hevean that's been telling you that lies, deceit, fraud, and corruption are "moral" acts.

As you know, the Federal Trade Commission has been very active since the Columbine school massacre regarding the fraudulent, deceptive, and harmful marketing of adult entertainment to minors. President Clinton led the effort in asking the FTC to identify this deceptive commercial practice that has led to numerous violent, tragic events.

Specifically, the FTC has warned retailers that they must do a better job of adhering to the age ratings on particular adult entertainment products, including ESRB-rated video games. Today I am shocked to find that Wal-Mart, the largest retailer of video games in the United States, is flagrantly thumbing its nose at the Federal Trade Commission. Here’s how:

On October 14, video game developer THQ will release the Mature-rated Saints Row 2. It is basically a Grand Theft Auto knock-off.

The sequel to Saints Row will bring open world thug-driven action to the 360 and PS3.

$59.82

Availability: Online, Not Sold In Stores

Mr. Chairman, Wal-Mart’s offering of this “Mature”-rated game to the public for sale as a “Teen”-rated game, and its brazen failure even to ask the age of the buyers constitutes a fraudulent and deceptive trade practice that must be enjoined immediately by the FTC and also punished, pursuant to the powers given the FTC by Congress.

This is just the latest installment of a distressing scofflaw pattern by Wal-Mart, which the FTC recently found has triple the failure rate of competitor GameStop in selling Mature-rated video games to underage kids in its brick-and-mortar stores.

Please proceed against Wal-Mart quickly and aggressively. Action must be taken this week. If the FTC does not act, I shall.

So, wait... that's it? That's your 'big news?' Even if that wasn't just an error on some programmer's part, why did you wait until NOW to post it?

Oh, and posting these letters in their entirety is a violation of the comments policy that you're supposed to follow now that you registered here. You could have just sent Dennis an e-mail to see if he'd care enough to put a mention in the ECA forums or something, not spam the article with edited text. (which you're the only one doing)

David "DavCube" Gagnon, Mature Human Being, and You're Not.

P.S: How's your son coping with the fact that you're losing your job? Or your ailing wife? I wish them both the best of luck.

This was your "big surprise"? Pathetic. Consider the bottom of the barrel well scraped. Also Jack, if you don't change your user name after your disbarment we WILL report you for impersonating a lawyer. Ta-ta sweetness.

EDIT: I particuarly like the "If the FTC doesn't act, I will" part. What are you planning to do to one of the largest companies on the planet Jack? Fail in their general direction?

-Ultimately what will do in mankind is a person's fear of their own freedom-

First off, this is a single retailer who has made a rather obvious error in a single game listing. The actual rating is perfectly visible in each cover image. This is hardly evidence of any sort of intentional attempt to market the game to children.

Second, Walmart is not an extension of the ESRB, the actual board responsible for rating these games. The ESRB has given the game an appropriate Mature rating that any parent should take the time to recognize before letting their child play it.

The most this sad, little situation does is point out that Walmart is not being 100% perfect in following the ESRB guidelines. We've all made a mistake or two.

Or 27.

Since Walmart is not actually connected to either the ESRB or the game responsible for making this game, this is, at the very most, going to lead to some type of reprimand and, possibly, a small fine.

So some guy mistakingly lists Saint's Row 2 as "Teen" instead of "Mature" and JT calls this "fradulent and deceptive trade practice"? That's the "big news"?

Oh man, I would totally make fun of this, I mean seriously rip on this but I can't. This is so fantastically ridiculous, so completely out there that you just can't. You can't spoof something like this. You can't take something this dumb and make it even dumber. If someone can figure out a way to do it, please let me know cause I haven't got a clue.

In fact, thinking about it, considering that you've been frothing about this for several hours, simply contacting them could have got the problem fixed by now and actually helped parents, instead, you were too busy thinking about how you could benefit from it.

Yup, It probably be 14 or 13 more days till your disbarment,And By then, I'd already hearing it on News TV,Oh wait..You dont go on News TV barely anymore because certain channels like CNN, MSNBC,etc had saw through your curtain of lies, Again..Im ashamed of living of living in florida with you...Hey I wonder what Gov.Charlie Crist has to say about your disbarment.

Psonally, I prefer Treet to Spam, and cold liver pudding sandwiches over Treet, but that's just me.

Anyway, allow Nostrodamus's long lost decendant, me, (although, really, I'm supposedly a decent of Lady Godiva, but we don't want to see me riding around nekked do we?) to predict John Bruce's latest "look at me!' prattle:

Public Nuisance suit (Reading http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=804464 I can see what ignorant baffoonish reasons you would come up with to use the legal system to push your Anti-First Amendment agenda, not to mention the SE which is in a pistol shaped box)

Claimed he had his son skip school... er... had his son move forward in time, purchase it without ID then will announce it that it actually happened a week or two later

Went on FOX or some other tabloid trash TV show, or even lied enough to get onto a real TV news show to claim some criminal act was because of a game that won't be out til Tuesday

You scream "the video game industry really IS in bed with the porn industry" because Tera Patrick's voice is in the game and therefore there must be hidden sex scenes in it because your Demon-Pretender-To-The-Throne-Of-Heaven, which you're trying to use to save your butt in the really big Federal Case to save your career, told you so

:: Yawn ::

We've heard it all before there sparky. And even if you succeed initially, you'll ultimately fail (Remember Louisiana?)

You've failed at this how many times, Jack? What makes you think this one will be any different? You're just going to create more publicity for the game and make it sell more than it would have otherwise, thus perpetuating the existance of that which you hate. YOU are counterproductive, Jacko.

"We are the only nation in the world that does not have such a law."I don't remember such a law around here. To take some countries as example, let me ask you, what countries of the following have "a federal law prohibiting the sale of adult video games to minors"? - United Kingdom- Ireland- Spain- France- Italy- Germany- The Netherlands- Belgium- Sweden- Norway- Denmark- Finland

And please do add the exact number/whatever of the law so I can go and verify.

*Gasp* Jack Thompson is gonna do something! This is it! This is the moment he's been telling us about! Everything has been going exactly as he wanted it to go! This is when he's finally gonna destroy those murder simulator making porn-to-children peddlers and those perverts at the Florida Bar! We're all doomed!! I can feel it in my gut...I...I can...I...oh...oh, wait......nope it's just gas. FALSE ALARM PEOPLE. It was only some gas. I feel better now.

And just what do you think you are going to do to Saints Row 2 eh Jack? Taking into account that you have been unsuccessful at doing anything to Any of the GTA games, Bully, Manhunt or Manhunt 2, The Sims, 25 to Life, Killer 7, or the Mortal Kombat game that you erroneously thought had a likeness of you. What makes you believe that this will be anything more than a flash in the pan when taking all of your past FAILURES into account?

-Ultimately what will do in mankind is a person's fear of their own freedom-

Sarah Palin is stupid enough on her own, she doesn't need your help Jack.

But, it is sort of a match made in Hell isn't it? She wanted to ban books, and Jack wanted to ban games. Both wanting to shit all over the first amendment. They can get together and snuggle up in front of a warm fire comprised of burning books and video games.

Sarah Palin is stupid enough on her own, she doesn't need your help Jack.

But, it is sort of a match made in Hell isn't it? She wanted to ban books, and Jack wanted to ban games. Both wanting to shit all over the first amendment. They can get together and snuggle up in front of a warm fire comprised of burning books and video games.

Apparently I'm supposed to be scared of a toothless piece of horse shit... well it's what you get for being an absolute arsehole and there's a court document to prove it... 2 weeks then you will be NOTHING.

Obama Biden 08!! I believe in you letter of idiocy was supposed to, and I quote "see voters flock to your proposal." As you can see we sure have flocked and I'm hoping this is the response you wanted because as you can see no one flocks to you, you're a crazy, old, wrinkly, wiredo whose trying to destroy something people love. You're wrong in everything you stand for, and you know nothing of what you preach. Why is it that whenever something happens everyone looks to videogames to blame. Wasn't it movies and music just a couple of years ago. Isn't there always something corrupting the youth of America. Give up Jack you've lost no one respects you, no one understands you, and no one cares what you have to say. If you're so hell bent on destroying an American tradition why don't you just leave. We can solve our problems without you. If you think that gamers will just roll over and play dead your wrong 40% of US households have game consoles and a lot of those people don't like you at all. We are strong and getting stronger everyday and if you think you got the balls to stand up to us go ahead. We're not underground geeks and nerds anymore we sing loud and proud of our passion and those who intend to take it away should cower in fear. You've sealed the deal I would never consider voting for someone associated with you, "Jack Thompson Raging Hemorrhoid on the ass of society and You Are Not", in a million years. As for the next President of the United States will be Obama Biden. Palin will fade away back to her little cottage in Alaska with Ted Kosinski keeping an eye on Putin for us.

Innumerable school shootings have been caused by these murder simulators, including those at Paducah, Columbine, Red Lake, and Virginia Tech.

Are you serious? Thats an outright lie right there. Thats DISGUSTING JACK! There was never any evidence to prove your statement that the shooter at VT ever played video games, not to mention, his roommate testifed and said he did a lot of writings. Jack, you really think that such a tragedy is casued by video games being used as simulators? MY god! What is wrong with you?

I want to puke. How dare you Jack.

_________________________ And the rain will kill us all... We throw ourselves against the walls.. but no one else can see.... the preservation of the martyr in me.... Psychosocial

Shout box

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PHX Corp: I launched my spotify account today, and I kinda went a little overboard with adding music03/31/2015 - 3:59pm

Sora-Chan: Con't. Games like AC are a pain to someone like me who likes to play games in order. So when a game gets too many releases too quickly, it puts me off. Only exceptions are games that have no interconnected underlying stories like the FF games.03/31/2015 - 2:53pm

Sora-Chan: Wikipedia has rarely let me down on matters like this. But yeah... AC needs a break.. like two.. or three... or eight years.03/31/2015 - 2:51pm

Conster: There's 9 already?! I think I played 1, 2, and the ones inbetween 2 and 3.03/31/2015 - 2:23pm

Sora-Chan: Con't There are now Nine... of just the main entries into the series. There are 13 more in the "other games" department.03/31/2015 - 2:15pm

Sora-Chan: I tried to get into AC. Was having a decent time with the first one, at which point they had already released three titles. Then a fourth came out... then a fifth... the wall kept growing before I could finish the first.03/31/2015 - 2:14pm

Daniel Lewis: I think ubisoft should give AC a break before it's milked to death,and i'm a big fan of the games03/31/2015 - 1:15pm

Daniel Lewis: The only thing said i disagree with is the final quote on Men's experiences are seen to be universal but women are gendered,though doesn't anita say that games with male protagonists are male power fantasies,so in turn both are gendered03/31/2015 - 1:08pm

Daniel Lewis: i found the video to be much better than any of the TvW series and it's about time the positive women are put in the spotlight03/31/2015 - 1:06pm

Daniel Lewis: So feministfrequency released a positive female character video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXmj2yJNUmQ03/31/2015 - 1:05pm

Daniel Lewis: I think the guy who made the direct leak said it was an april fools joke when a real one was announced03/31/2015 - 12:43pm

MaskedPixelante: No way Nintendo would let information like that get out. Remember, they shut down a memoir about the localization of Earthbound by enforcing a 20 year old NDA on the author.03/31/2015 - 12:42pm

james_fudge: Conster: the larger issue is that Ind. does not protect LGBTQ+ people under state law03/31/2015 - 12:11pm

PHX Corp: @MP I think it is confirmed(not an April Fools joke) http://mynintendonews.com/2015/03/31/nintendo-direct-confirmed-for-wednesday-april-1st/03/31/2015 - 12:00pm

Conster: Apparently Pence intends to amend SB101 so denying service isn't allowed - without explicitly protecting LGBT+ and while still allowing the many other things you can get away with now if it's motivated by your religious beliefs.03/31/2015 - 11:53am

MaskedPixelante: http://mynintendonews.com/2015/03/30/rumour-nintendo-direct-on-april-1st/ A supposed full leak of tomorrow's Nintendo Direct, so you can all laugh and laugh about how wrong it is.03/31/2015 - 11:35am

PHX Corp: http://kotaku.com/why-a-tekken-7-character-is-being-called-a-phoney-1694724959 Why a Tekken 7 Character Is Being Called a Phoney03/31/2015 - 10:08am

Michael Chandra: Argh. Anyway, I'm glad that move was made. Wonder if it counts, can he just declare it like that? 03/31/2015 - 9:27am